Improvement in folding chairs



J. E WAKEFIELD.

FOLDING-CHAIRS.

No. 195,549 Patented Sept.25.1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. WAKEFIELD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ED WARD W. VAILL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,549, dated September 25, 1877; application filed March 6, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J on: E. WAKEFIELD, of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specifica tion:

Folding chairs have been made with X-legs, and the front legs and back in one piece, and with a flexible seat.

My present improvement relates to this class of chairs; and consists in the combination, with the folding X-legs and back, of arm-pieces, extended down to the front cross-piece at the upper ends of the back legs, and connectinglinks between the ends of such armpieces and the said back legs, which links may also serve as rests to the upper ends of the back legs and relieve the seat from strain that would otherwise come upon the seat whenthe chair is unfolded for use.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the said chair. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a section, of the chair partially folded.

The back-frame is composed of the. side pieces a a, united by the cross-rails b 0, so as to be sufficiently rigid, and the side pieces a extend forward and form the front legs. The back legs e are pivoted at f to form the folding X-legs, as usual; and g is the cross-piece at the upper end of the back legs, to which the flexible seat is connected, or upon which a rigid seat-frame rests and the back of the seat is connected with the back frame. These parts are of usual character, and do not re quire further description.

The arms is are pivoted at Z to the back, and they are of a length to reach to the upper ends of the back legs, or nearly so, and the links m are pivoted at n to the front ends of the arm-pieces k, and at their back ends to the back legs at o. It is generally preferable to make these links m of metal bars, so that they lie against the inner faces of the upper portions of the back legs, and when the metal bars are bent downward, and then upward to the pivots n, as shown, they form loops that receive and hold the upper ends of the back legs when the chair is unfolded, so that strain upon the seat is avoided. Hence, said seat is flexible, will not be exposed to tension resulting from the weight tending to spread the X- legs, and, if a rigid seat-frame is used, it only requires to be hinged to the back-frame. It, however, is not necessary to support the upper ends of the back legs by the said links, as the strain may come upon the flexible seat or seat-frame.

When the chair is folded, the front ends of the arms swing downward with the links as the X-legs fold together, so that none of the parts of the chairs have to be disconnected in folding. and the chair, when in use, stands very firmly.

I do not claim a chair havingaback and folding X-leg, with arms extending from the back to a rail that connects the lower ends ofthe arms, and from which rail there are links to the upper portions of the back legs.

I claim as my invention- In combination with a chair having a back, folding X-legs and arms, the metallic links 112 pivoted at one end to the inner faces of the rear legs, and at the other end to the inner faces of the arms, the said links being bent so that their upper ends will receive the upper ends of the rear legs when unfolded, as set forth.

Signed by me this 24th day of February, A.

J. E. WAKEFIELD. Witnesses:

E. L. Guns, 0. S. GoRnoN. 

